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Brick entrepreneurs in Nepal can now test soil properties and the calorific value of coal, thereby enabling energy and resource efficient brick production. This has been made possible through the establishment in October 2019 of a brick sector incubation centre and laboratory in Lalitpur. The Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI) invested in the physical infrastructure and ICIMOD supported procurement of the equipment for testing and research and development (R&D).
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The incubation centre will strengthen FNBI’s Technical Resource Development Committee (TRDC), and enable R&D for the continuous refinement of brick production in Nepal. The centre is also expected to catalyze innovation and production of industry related marketable equipment. A core aspect of the incubation centre is a laboratory equipped with facilities to test coal, soil, brick strength, and to measure emissions. The centre is equipped with bomb calorimeter, muffle furnace, thermocouples, stack monitoring equipment and burners for gas firing, among others. FNBI has hired a technician to operate the laboratory and two support staff. The technician received training at the Department of Mines and Geology in Kathmandu.
Eklabya Sharma, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD highlighted how the establishment of the incubation centre is a major milestone in the brick industry and provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs in the region to make informed decisions that can ultimately enable them to produce better quality bricks.
FNBI President Mahendra Chitrakar appreciated ICIMOD support not only on behalf of Nepal’s brick entrepreneurs but also on behalf of FABKA. He reiterated how by reducing fuel, the industry can reduce air pollution across Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He called for all the countries to work together for this, as well as towards better working conditions for workers across the region. This initiative has been supported by UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
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